113 SRES 372 IS: Supporting the goals and ideals of the Secondary School Student Athletes’ Bill of Rights.U.S. Senate2014-03-05text/xmlENPursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.III113th CONGRESS2d SessionS. RES. 372IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESMarch 5, 2014Mr. Menendez submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsRESOLUTIONSupporting the goals and ideals of the Secondary School Student Athletes’ Bill of Rights.Whereas over 7,700,000 student athletes participated in
secondary school athletics during the 2012 to 2013 academic year;Whereas it is estimated that in 2012, secondary school student athletes participating in
9 of
the most popular high school sports, including football, boys’ and girls’
soccer, girls’ volleyball, boys’ and girls’ basketball, wrestling,
baseball,
and softball, suffered over 1,300,000 instances of injury;Whereas every 3 minutes, a child is treated in an emergency department for a sports-related
concussion, accounting for more than 8 percent of all sports-related
emergency cases;Whereas the number of sports-related concussion injuries has doubled in the last 15 years among
student athletes aged 8 to 19, despite an overall decrease in the number
of students participating in sports;Whereas sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death for youth participating in sports
or exercising, with upwards of 80 percent of those suffering from SCA
being asymptomatic prior to cardiac arrest;Whereas instances of heat-related illness have more than doubled since 1997 and affect high school
football players at an average rate that is 10 times higher than that of
participants in other sports;Whereas approximately 1,500 children aged 12 to 17 were treated in an emergency department for
energy drink-related emergencies in 2011;Whereas secondary school student athletes with access to
certified athletic health care professionals have lower overall injury
rates,
lower recurrent injury rates, and lower concussion rates than student
athletes
without access to certified athletic health care professionals;Whereas in light of the increase in athletic-related injuries to student athletes,
schools are encouraged to develop and adopt best practices and standards
to
prevent and address student athlete injury;Whereas the Secondary School Student Athletes’ Bill of
Rights sets forth that secondary school student athletes have the right
to—(1)be coached by individuals who are
well-trained in sport-specific safety and to be monitored by athletic
health
care team members;(2)quality, regular
pre-participation examinations and each athlete has the right to
participate
under a comprehensive concussion management plan;(3)participate in
sporting activities on safe, clean playing surfaces, in both indoor and
outdoor
facilities;(4)utilize equipment
and uniforms that are safe, fitted appropriately, and routinely
maintained, and
to appropriate personnel trained in proper removal of equipment in case of
injury;(5)participate safely
in all environmental conditions where play follows approved guidelines and
medical policies and procedures, with a hydration plan in place;(6)a
safe playing environment with venue-specific emergency action plans that
are
coordinated by the athletic health care team and regularly rehearsed with
local
emergency personnel;(7)privacy of health
information and proper referral for medical, psychosocial, and nutritional
counseling;(8)participate in a
culture that finds playing through pain unacceptable unless
there has been a medical assessment;(9)immediate, on-site
injury assessments with decisions made by qualified sports medicine
professionals; and(10)along with their
parents, the latest information about the benefits and potential risks of
participation in competitive sports, including access to statistics on
fatalities and catastrophic injuries to youth athletes; andWhereas the Secondary School Student Athletes’ Bill of
Rights, which sets forth goals and ideals to improve the health,
well-being,
and athletic experience of secondary school students, can serve as a
valuable
resource to reduce injury, promote athlete safety, and encourage
well-being:
Now, therefore, be itThat the Senate—(1)expresses support for the principles and
values set forth in the Secondary School Student Athletes’ Bill of Rights;(2)recognizes the
importance of proper safety measures, timely medical assessments, and
appropriate environmental conditions in ensuring the health and well-being
of
secondary school student athletes;(3)recognizes the role that teachers, parents,
coaches, and athletic health care team members play in ensuring the safety
and
well-being of secondary school student athletes;(4)expresses support
for secondary schools that have successfully implemented programs,
policies,
and practices to emphasize and encourage student athlete safety and
well-being;
and(5)encourages
secondary schools to continue to take all available and reasonable efforts
to
ensure student athlete safety.